5510 or 5520 to work with cisco

[texwolf]

I am new to this so please bear with me.

We recently upgraded all of our network infrastructure to Cisco from Nortel. During that time we also re ip'd all the network closets and clients and changed the Vlans.  What I would like to know is if I reset all of the Nortel switches to default can I use them with the Cisco switches on what ever Vlan it is plugged into on the Cisco switch without doing any type of configuration on the Nortel switches?

Is there a best practice for connecting a Nortel switch to a Cisco switch.

Right now the only way I know how to connect to the Nortel switches is I have to have them plugged into the 8606 via fiber and using DM ver 6. The software ver on the switches are ver 4.1.0.04. I have tried to connect using a null modem cable but couldnt access the switch that way.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Flintstone]

Hi texwolf and welcome to the forum,

Yes and No?

You could just plug your ERS 55xx into an access Vlan port on the Cisco switch.  It would be much better to setup 802.1Q Vlans and Cisco 'etherchannel' to Avaya/Nortel 'MLT' if required, so you can fully utilise and manage your switches?

I actually use two Cisco cables connected via an RJ45 'balun' to talk to my Avaya/Nortel switches.

CheerZ and good luck

[Dominik]

Hi texwolf,

as Flinstone mentioned best practice is to connect a tagged link to the cisco 802.1q trunk.
Here you have to add all the VLANs explicit to the tagged port on your ERS5000.

You have to use a straight serial cable to connect to to a stackable Avaya switch.
(the ERS8600 comes with a serial cross cable).

Cheers

[texwolf]

Thanks for the advice.

I wont be using the 8600 core anymore but I would like to use the 5500 series switches as spares or if I run out of ports on cisco switch (which is close in one of our IDF closets).

I am new to switch configuration. Can anyone share the commands with me that would make the 802.1Q Vlans and Cisco 'etherchannel' to Nortel MLT.

I have already tested the switches and they will work by just plugging them into an open port on the Cisco switch but I would like to learn more and be able to VLAN the ports on the Nortel's as well as the Cisco's.

[Michael McNamara]

You should find everything you need in this blog post;

http://blog.michaelfmcnamara.com/2011/01/802-1q-vlan-tagging-on-a-cisco-catalyst-3750-e/

Good Luck!